Madam Speaker, I will start with some general comments on Bill C-95 before the House today. I quite agree with the Reform Party's concern about the meagreness of our legislative menu, but our positions converge so far and no further.
This government has made a habit of using ostensibly harmless bills to introduce provisions in which it assumes more and more powers. That is the case with Bill C-95. This bill establishes the Department of Health and amends and repeals certain acts. The purpose of this legislation is first of all to change the name of the department. What could be more ordinary?
After a closer look, however, we see that this bill contains provisions that are quite the opposite of the changes we were promised during the referendum campaign. It is this aspect of the bill, these new measures that are supposed to clarify the mandate of the federal Department of Health and will in fact increase its importance, which are revealing. Clause 4(2)( a ) and( b ) is particularly disturbing.
This clause provides, and I quote:
-the minister's powers, duties and functions relating to health include the following matters: a ) the promotion and preservation of the physical, mental and social well-being of the people of Canada; b ) the protection of the people of Canada against risks to health and the spreading of diseases;
On the pretext of intervening on behalf of the well-being of the people of Canada, Ottawa could outflank the provinces in an area that is a provincial responsibility. These two clauses in Bill C-95
give an indication of the very broad application this bill might have. It may have serious repercussions.
Need we recall that the Canadian Constitution of 1867 specifically recognizes health as an exclusive responsibility of the provinces? I know this government would rather not hear about the Constitution. That is just too bad. As long as this government keeps violating the Constitution, it will hear about it from Quebec, at any rate.
The federal government's intrusion in this provincial jurisdiction flies in the face of the very principles of Canadian federalism. And then they wonder why it does not work. They are trying to use the power of disallowance, based on considerations such as national interest, peace and good government, and of course the government's spending powers, to again restrict the prerogatives of the provinces.
However, as the federal government tries to encroach on jurisdictions that are exclusive to the provinces, its financial contribution decreases steadily.
In less than 20 years, the federal government's contribution to health care funding dropped from 45.9 per cent in 1977 to an expected 28 per cent in 1997. Finally, to divert attention from its financial withdrawal, the federal government proposed in its last budget a more flexible transfer payment formula under which all the money goes into a single envelope called the Canada social transfer. The federal government announced in the same breath that it would withdraw unilaterally and cut payments to Quebec by $308 million in 1995-96 and by more than $587 million in 1997-98.
The provinces were given the choice of cutting in either education, health or welfare. What a great example of decentralization and co-operation. Talk about flexible federalism. When a government can no longer afford to pay, it must have the basic decency not to try to impose its national standards and objectives more vigorously at the same time.
Since coming to power, the Liberal government has chosen to keep its deficit from growing by attacking social programs and going after the most vulnerable in our society. Yet, it is still trying to pursue Trudeau's old dream of controlling the provincial health care systems through national standards.
The federal government is now getting ready to invade the provinces' jurisdiction through the back door. For example, subclause 4(2)(c) of the bill gives the federal Department of Health the power to conduct investigations and research into public health. You may think that this is a noble objective. But how will the federal government conduct these investigations and this research?
Even though it is not mentioned in the bill, should the federal government have access to all the information needed to carry out its mission? Most of this information is often held by health organizations subject to provincial legislation.
This whole debate may appear pretty technical, but it may lead to many futile squabbles and discussions simply because the federal government does not respect its own fundamental law.
Of course, Bill C-95 shows our federal big brother's commitment to look after the health of all Canadians. It does not, however, tell us what steps the federal Department of Health will take to fulfil these noble ambitions. This is no accident. It is not in the federal government's interests to remind us once again that it is continuing its attempt to encroach on our jurisdiction over health matters.
In fact, on November 2, in the debate on second reading of bill C-95, the hon. parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Health plainly admitted that "its renewed commitment to a long and glorious tradition has inspired Liberal governments, politicians of every party and Canadian people over many years, indeed over many decades". Later, her Liberal colleague, the hon. member for Pierrefonds-Dollard, added that the Minister of Health had, and I quote: "strongly and successfully defended the principles championed for half a century by the Liberal Party, while developing Canada's health care system".
It is obvious that, through Bill C-95 in particular, the Minister of Health is carrying on the work that Marc Lalonde and Monique Bégin started. And after that, we wonder what is wrong with the federal system. Upholding a long and glorious tradition of duplication, overlap and encroachment, now I have seen it all. Just days ago, the Prime Minister promised major changes to accommodate the provinces, and Quebec in particular.
But today, we have before us yet another bill put forward by the federal government, which is doing everything it can to centralize and once again intrude on provincial areas of jurisdiction.
To paraphrase no committee chairman Michel Bélanger, this is the beauty of it. If the government is really committed to reducing the deficit, it should start by eliminating duplication and overlap with respect to health matters. But, on the contrary, Trudeau's followers are carrying on his work. I could mention, among others things, the fact that the department allocates important budgets for programs and projects that already exist in Quebec. Here are some examples: the strategy for the integration of handicapped people, the fight against family violence, the new horizons program, the seniors secretariat, the fight against tobacco, the anti-drug strategy,
the strategy against AIDS, the program on pregnancy and child development, the forum on health, and so on.
What happened to the commitment made barely fifteen days ago by the Prime Minister, who promised that changes would be made?
You will understand that, as an elected member representing Quebec, I simply cannot support Bill C-95.